© 2008 by Robert Lepor. All rights reserved.
(During a Jewish leap-year: 19 Adar II - בִּשְׁנַת הָעִיבּוּר - י"ט אדר בּ)
(During a Jewish leap-year: 19 Adar II - בִּשְׁנַת הָעִיבּוּר - י"ט אדר בּ)
[[The person’s reticence to pursue the marriage of his daughter to a Torah scholar], comes entirely from the deception of the [evil] inclination, who entices the person, [by] saying [as follows]: ‘[Your] daughter will not attain success and a high stature, if you will marry [her] to one [who is] involved in Torah [study], this not being the case if [you] will marry [your daughter off] to [this other person who is not involved in Torah study]’. In reality, [the aforementioned argument posed by the evil inclination] is not the case, for The Holy One, Blessed is He, He being The G-d of the universe, and [the One] Who prepares sustenance for all of His creatures, as is written [in sefer “Tehillim” (136; 25), as follows]: “He provides bread to all flesh…”[1], will He, Heaven Forbid, hold back sustenance for the person, because he learns His Torah and fulfills His mitzvos? Woe and alas for one who thinks such [things] about The Creator of the universe, Yisbarach.]
I am not speaking [in response to] those who did not have The Light of The Torah shine upon them, for they don’t make an effort to marry [off their daughter] to one involved in Torah [study, for] since they have not tasted of the honey-comb [sweetness][2] of Her words, they [consequently] do not recognize of the sweetness of [Torah] matters. Rather, I am astounded by those lay-people who are involved in Torah [themselves], who recognize the greatness of the value [of The Torah], at the time when they are lax in this [matter of trying to seek out a person who is involved in Torah study with whom to pursue as a prospective marriage-partner for their daughters]. Furthermore, [as a result of such behavior by those who are familiar with the importance of The Torah], great harm results for the rest of the people, [they being unfamiliar with the value of The Torah], who [upon seeing the lack of interest expressed by those familiar with the value of The Torah, consequently] do not at all consider [the prospect of their daughters] marrying [an individual who is] involved in Torah [study].
[1] The entire pasuk states, “He gives bread to all flesh, for His Kindness is eternal”.
RaDa”K explains that after this chapter in “Tehillim” has discussed the kindness that HaShem has performed with The B’nei Yisrael, toward the end of the chapter, it discusses the kindness which He has performed with all of creation, in that HaShem has provided bread to all flesh, this being a great kindness in that HaShem provides all life with the sustenance which it requires. We can see from here, that since HaShem provides the requisite sustenance to all creatures, regardless of whether they are people or Jewish, aside from the unique acts of kindness which He has performed for The B’nei Yisrael, as discussed earlier in this chapter, how much more is it the case that HaShem will provide, and not deny, the requisite sustenance to those individuals who involve themselves in Torah study, it being the holiest of pursuits in which a person can involve himself. As the Chofetz Chaim noted, this pasuk demonstrates the fallacy of the Yetzer HaRa’s argument when it tries to encourage the person to refrain from pursuing a marriage between his daughter and one involved in Torah study.
[2] This phrase is based on the pasuk from sefer “Tehillim”, which states that The Torah and the mitzvos are “More pleasant than gold and an abundance of fine gold, and sweeter than honey and honeycomb”. (Tehillim: 19; 11)
I am not speaking [in response to] those who did not have The Light of The Torah shine upon them, for they don’t make an effort to marry [off their daughter] to one involved in Torah [study, for] since they have not tasted of the honey-comb [sweetness][2] of Her words, they [consequently] do not recognize of the sweetness of [Torah] matters. Rather, I am astounded by those lay-people who are involved in Torah [themselves], who recognize the greatness of the value [of The Torah], at the time when they are lax in this [matter of trying to seek out a person who is involved in Torah study with whom to pursue as a prospective marriage-partner for their daughters]. Furthermore, [as a result of such behavior by those who are familiar with the importance of The Torah], great harm results for the rest of the people, [they being unfamiliar with the value of The Torah], who [upon seeing the lack of interest expressed by those familiar with the value of The Torah, consequently] do not at all consider [the prospect of their daughters] marrying [an individual who is] involved in Torah [study].
[1] The entire pasuk states, “He gives bread to all flesh, for His Kindness is eternal”.
RaDa”K explains that after this chapter in “Tehillim” has discussed the kindness that HaShem has performed with The B’nei Yisrael, toward the end of the chapter, it discusses the kindness which He has performed with all of creation, in that HaShem has provided bread to all flesh, this being a great kindness in that HaShem provides all life with the sustenance which it requires. We can see from here, that since HaShem provides the requisite sustenance to all creatures, regardless of whether they are people or Jewish, aside from the unique acts of kindness which He has performed for The B’nei Yisrael, as discussed earlier in this chapter, how much more is it the case that HaShem will provide, and not deny, the requisite sustenance to those individuals who involve themselves in Torah study, it being the holiest of pursuits in which a person can involve himself. As the Chofetz Chaim noted, this pasuk demonstrates the fallacy of the Yetzer HaRa’s argument when it tries to encourage the person to refrain from pursuing a marriage between his daughter and one involved in Torah study.
[2] This phrase is based on the pasuk from sefer “Tehillim”, which states that The Torah and the mitzvos are “More pleasant than gold and an abundance of fine gold, and sweeter than honey and honeycomb”. (Tehillim: 19; 11)
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